In a landmark restitution ceremony, Berlin's Ethnological Museum has returned a rare Nkisi N'Kondi (Power Figure) to the authorities of the Republic of Congo. The wooden statue, studded with iron nails and medicinal packets, was taken during a colonial expedition in the late 19th century and is considered a sacred vessel for justice and spiritual protection by the Loango people.
The repatriation follows Germany's updated federal guidelines for the return of cultural property acquired in colonial contexts. The figure will be housed in a new state-of-the-art facility in Brazzaville, where it will be accessible to local traditional leaders and researchers, marking a significant step in healing colonial-era cultural rifts between the two nations.